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Biopsychology - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Able to move with cap so decreases confounding variables
      - High temporal resolution
    - - Low spacial resolution
      - Not able to distinguish between brains response and other nural noises.
  - - - Helps determine how processing is affected by specific experimental manipulation
      - Allows us to eliminate noise and specifically focus on brain activity
    - - Hard to pinpoint exact source
      - Cannot explain multi-tasking
  - - - Uses no radiation so can be virtually,risk-free,non-invasive and straightforward
      - High spacial resolution
    - - Low temporal resolution
      - fMRI scanners are much more costly than other methods suck as EEG scans.
  - - - Allows to know more about brain structure and its function
      - Used to develop a wiring diagram of every connection in brain
    - - Cannot know if damage or abnormality in brain regions was cause of dysfunction
      - Cannot be used to measure peoples reactions.Unethical as patients cannot provide informed consent
- - - - Exogenous zeitgebers-light
        
        External cues that may affect or entrain our biological rhythms,such as the influence of light on the sleep/wake cycle.
        
        The most important zeitgeber is light, which is responsible for resetting the body clock each day, keeping it on a 24-hour cycle.The SNC contains receptors that are sensitive to light and this external cue is used to synchronise the body’s internal organs and glands.
        
        Strength
        
        Campbell & Murphy demonstrated that light may be detected by ski receptor sites on the body even when the same information is not received by the eyes.15 participants were woken at various times and a light pad was shone on the back of their knees.The researchers managed to produce a deviation in the participants' usual sleep/wake cycle of up to 3 hours in some cases.This suggests that light is a powerful exogenous zeitgeber that need not necessarily rely on the eyes to exert its influence on the brain.
        
        Weakness
        
        Campbell & Murhy's experiment consist of shining bright lights on participants back of the knees and were able to alter their circadian rhythms in line with the light exposure.The exact mechanism for this is unclear ,but it seems possible that the blood chemistry was altered and this was detected by the SCN.The above study suggests light detection in the body may be more complex than we might believe.The fact that most blind people seem to be detecting light to reset their body clock also suggests cells other than rods and cones may be responsible.
        
        A02
        
        Laptop and phone screens at night turn from b;ue and green during the day to yellow and red as the day grows darker.This decreases the production of melatonin which is essential to restful sleep and produced naturally as the day becomes darker.This tricks the brain to think it is still day time.This therefore shows the importance of light on the sleep cycle.
      - Endogenous pacemakers
        
        Internal body clocks that regulate many of our biological rhythms,such as the influence of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) on the sleep/wake cycle.
        
        The main endogenous pacemaker (or master clock). It controls other biological rhythms, as it links to other areas of the brain responsible for sleep and arousal. The SCN also receives information about light levels e.g night and day.
        
        Strength
        
        When Siffre returned from an underground stay with no clocks or light, he believed the date to be a month earlier than it was. This suggests that his 24-hour sleep-wake cycle was increased by the lack of external cues, making him believe one day was longer than it was. This highlights the impact of external factors on bodily rhythms.
        
        Weakness
        
        A limitation is that it is a case study.Siffre only studied himself as he was the only one in a cave.Therefore there is a lack of generalisability as there can be individual differences.This connotates that individuals can adapt differently to the conditions therefore creating confounding variables.This decreases the reliability and validity of results.
        
        A02
        
        This would suggest that it is better to go to bed at the same time to maintain a sleep.This increases the reliability and validity of the research.
  - - - Stages 1 and 2 are ‘light sleep’ stages. During these stages brainwave patterns become slower and more rhythmic, starting with alpha waves progress to theta waves.Stages 3 and 4 are ‘deep sleep’ or slow wave sleep stages, where it is difficult to wake someone up. This stage is associated with slower delta waves.Finally, Stage 5 is REM (or dream) sleep. Here is the body is paralysed (to stop the person acting out their dream) and brain activity resembles that of an awake person.
        
        Strengths
        
        Use of EEG studies has found that REM activity during sleep was highly correlated with the experience of dreaming,brain activity varied according to how vivid dreams were,
        
        Weakness
        
        EEG study results can not be generalised as we can not pin point the area where it is responsible for sleep/wake cycle and ultradian rhythms.This furthermore decreases the reliability and validity of EEG sleep study.
        
        A02
        
        Future apps would identify different sleep frequencies which would help us identify what happens during a restorative sleep and the condition to fall in a restorative sleep state.This would increase the rate of people getting restorative sleep,improving everyday life.
  - - - "Regulated by the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. A rise in oestrogen in the middle of the cycle causes ovulation with is followed by a rise in progesterone which causes the womb lining to thicken.Body temperature varies systematically with stages in menstrual cycle.
        
        A02
        
        Apps such as 'natures cycle' allows women to see when their menstrual cycle would start which could help them plan certain activities such as swimming with family and the probability of conceiving.
        
        Weakness
        
        Research has shown that mestrual cycles can be effected by external factors such as stress,changes in diet,exercise that might act as confounding variables.This means that any supposed pattern of synchromisation,in studies by McClintock for example is no more than would have been expected to occur by chance.This decreases the reliability and validity of results.
- - - - Connect sensory neurons to motor or other relay neurons.They have short dendrites and short axons.
  - - - Connect the CNS to effectors such as muscles and glands.They have short dendrites and long axons.
  - - - Carry messages from the PNS to the CNS.They have long dendrites and short axons.
- - - - Strengths
        
        increases neural processing capacity
        
        Lateralisation and immune system functioning
      - Weaknesses
        
        Lateralisation changes with age
        
        But early intervention can prevent issues
        
        In connected brains the right hemisphere support the understanding of language by helping to read facial expressions,body language and changes in pitch an innottion in speech. This suggest that part cannot fully work without the other.
  - - - Right hemisphere:Creative analysis,excels at visual-motor tasks.
        
        Sperry & Gazzaniga:Method to stop confounding variables:They ensured participants were looking at the central dot and only flashed the image or word momentarily to either the left or right visual field.This means it is only ‘seen’ by one hemisphere.If the information were shown for longer there would be time for the eyes to move and focus centrally on the word or picture meaning it would be ‘seen’ by both hemispheres.
        
        Why patients have corpus callosum cut:Epilepsy
        
        Aim:The aim of their research was to examine the extent to which the two hemispheres are specialised for certain functions.
        
        Findings:Describe what you see:Right visual field(processed by left hemisphere):The patient could describe what they saw,demonstrating the superiority of the left hemisphere when it comes to language production.Left visual field(processed by right hemisphere):The patient could not describe what was shown and often reported that there was nothing present.
        
        Tactile tests:Objects placed in the right hand(processed by the left hemisphere):The patients could describe verbally what they felt.Or they could identify the test object presented in the right hand (left hemisphere),by selecting a similar appropriate object,from a series of alternate objects.Objects placed in the left hand(processed by the right hemisphere):The patient could not describe what they felt and could only make wild guesses.However,the left hand could identify a test object presented in the left hand (right hemisphere),by selecting a similar appropriate object,from a series of alternate objects
        
        1 more item...
- - - - Somatic nervous system (SNS)
        
        The SNS controls muscle movement and receives information from sensory receptors.
      - Autonomic nervous system (ANS)
        
        The ANS governs vital functions in the body such as breathing,heart rate,digestion,sexual arousal and stress responses.
- - - - Outer layer of brain is called cerebral cortex.:1.Motor area:at back of the frontal lobe (both hemispheres).Controls voluntary movement.Damage may result in loss of control over fine motor movements.2.Somatosensory area:at the front of the parietal lobes.Processes sensory information from the skin (touch,heat,pressure,etc.).The amount of somatosensory area devoted to a particular body part denotes its sensitivity.3.Visual area:in the occipital lobe at the back of the brain.Each eye sends information from the right visual field to the left visual cortex.So damage to the left hemisphere,e.g can produce blindness in right visual field of both eyes.4.Auditory area:in the temporal lobe.Analyses speech-based information.Damage may produce partial hearing loss-the more extensive the damage,the more serious the loss.
        
        Broca's area:Speech production:Tan
        
        Wernicke's area:Language comprehension
        
        Strengths
        
        Support from case study
        
        Supported by neurological evidence
        
        Brain scan support evidence
        
        Weaknesses
        
        Existence of contradictory research
        
        Neural plasticity is a challenge to localisation theory
- - - - Excitation:more likely to fire.Inhibition:less likely to fire.